The Data Fortress
Building Cyber Resilience with Data Governance and AI Operations
February 2025
White Paper Overview
Data is essential to modern organizations. It fuels innovation, strengthens customer relationships, and supports critical operations. However, this valuable data is often scattered across various locations: multiple cloud providers, software providers, and a vast array of geographically distributed systems and mobile devices. This creates a complex landscape of potential entry points for cybercriminals, who are increasingly leveraging AI-powered attacks. A 2023 IBM study highlighted a 40% surge in AI- driven attacks compared to the previous year. These sophisticated attacks use machine learning to bypass traditional security measures, allowing cybercriminals to repeatedly target vulnerable organizations.
This white paper explores the critical role of data governance and AI Operations (AIOps) in establishing strong cyber resilience. Cyber resilience is the ability of an organization to maintain operations despite a cyberattack, achieved through proactive rather than reactive measures. We've compiled feasible, grounded advice based on insights from leading companies and our experts, who have helped build successful programs. These programs should always begin with a robust data governance lifecycle plan.
Data Governance: Foundations for Cyber Resilience
Protecting companies' most valuable intellectual property and data requires a robust data governance framework. Such a framework needs to encompass all policies, processes, and responsibilities for ensuring data accuracy, consistency, security, and compliance with internal and regulatory bodies.
T Exponents developed a 6-step action plan to achieve desired outcomes for organizations seeking to augment their data governance programs.
Data Governance: Detailing the Six Steps
The following detail the T Exponents steps for data governance which conforms with industry standards such as ISO, NIST, DAMA. The six (6) steps are summarized below: